Once Upon a Time
by memorymogul
Summary: In the light of the moon did her true love shows.  it's a kinda red riding hood kind of a story. well, I suck in summary but the story is actually good. this is my first ever fanfic.
1. Chapter 1

Hi guys this is my first ever fanfiction,..

Hope you like it,…

**Disclaimer: I do not own this anime,.. how I wish I do,.. hehe,..**

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><p>It was dark, very very dark. It was as if the cycle of death had yet begun again. The once beautiful forest that is full of life and luster become wither as if death passes unto it. The sorroundings was cloth with hues of fire and gold. And upon unto it a young girl lying on the forest floor.<p>

_Flashback.._

"_Dad I'm going to visit grandmother" said the blonde girl. "Be careful on your way darling" said the older man. The_

_blonde girl walks outside their cute little cottage. As she was walking outside the village, people begun to whisper in_

_hush tones, "she must be visiting her grandmother who is a witch" said one of the villagers, eventhough their_

_speaking in hush tones the blonde girl could still hear their hurtful words. It's not her grandmother's fault if she is_

_good in the arts of medicine and astronomy. Because of that talent her grandmother was falsely accused of sorcery_

_and witchcraft. That's the reason why her grandmother was living outside the village and was just contently residing_

_at the heart of the forest._

_Cagalli was walking inside the forest. Every time she walks inside she could feel the freshness and easeness of the_

_surroundings, but today it's as if the forest was telling her to go out and she was not welcome inside. The blonde girl_

_just ignore the feeling and just think that it was just the darkness. Then at that moment she could hear the warning_

_bells on their village. That sound was very familiar to her because it was just the signal in which the wolf is attacking_

_the village again. Heart pounding the blonde could only think to hurry up and be with her grandmother. As she was_

_running she could feel eyes watching her. She was sweating and praying that it was just her imagination. It was then_

_that a very feral howl broke her thoughts of prayer. It was just a split of a second that a large creature jump over her_

_that causes her to faint.._

_End of flashback….._

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><p>She opened her eyes and scans her surroundings'. Her mind was in chaos as she try to remember what happened.<p>

As memories rush back from her head she was in a panic as she remembers the creature that pounced her. She

jolts as she heard a rustle behind the bushes. She was very nervous and her body was quivering. She gathered

all her strength to stand and make a run for it. But as she tried to stand a hand grab her shoulder. She was

about to scream when the person stop her. "sshhh" said the brunette. "kira!" shouted the blond. Her eyes were

watering because she was relieved to see her twin brother. "cagalli, I was very worried with you" kira was very

overprotective when it comes to the blond. They were just ten at that time. " I was just on my way to

grandmother when something pounced at me" kira was stunned because he just forgot about the warning bells.

" let's just go back to the village" said the brunette. Cagalli try to protest but stopped when she saw the look of

her twin. When kira give her the serious look she knows that there was no room for argument.

As they were closed to the village; a few more minutes more and they were out of the forest. Cagalli turned as

though she could understand the whispering of the trees and shivered a little. " are you ok?" cagalli just nodded.

When the twins turned back, the wolf was there. They were stunned and immobile. The wolf lunged forward,

fangs and claws sinking to cagalli's legs. She screamed as it knocked her down. Blood was gushing out and some

was sprayed on her face. She struggled and try to sit up and that was the time she came face to face with the

monster.

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><p>Beside her kira raised his dagger and plunged it to the wolf's chest. The creature shriek and howl in pain. It<p>

caused the siblings goosebumps. It jumped back, blood gushing out on its wound, stared at them for a moment

and stagger out of the trees.

The trees shook sympathetically, showering down leaves upon the siblings, covering them both and the trail left

by the injured wolf. As the moon cast it's light into the forest the trees shivered , urging the siblings to run home,

and whispering another warning. For the night in the forest was unsafe.

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><p><strong>AN**

**Well that was the chapter one of my story…**

**Hope you like it and please READ AND REVIEW…..**


	2. Chapter 2

Here is the continuation of chapter one….

**Disclaimer: I do not own this anime….**

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><p><strong>Chapter Two<strong>

Cagalli clung to kira as if her life was depended on it. They walk staggering out of the forest. With every step he

took she was screaming, as fresh waved of pain washed over her. He stumbled towards the village shouting,

"help us"

The villagers who were panicking relunctantly helped the siblings. Their father, Uzumi, hurriedly past the crowd to

go where his children was. He was horrified at the sight of her daughter's mangled state. "my legs hurt father, it

is on fire!" she whimpered, her throat was raw in pain. "please put it out" she cried.

"darling, you are not on fire" Uzumi said.

"but I can feel it, it's burning" she sobbed.

Kira was beside her clenching his fist. He was guilty for he failed to protect her precious sister. He can not take it

when her sister was in pain. How he wish that he was more stronger so that he will be able to protect his twin

sister. But what can a mere child like him can do? He was powerless not to mention that he was just ten.

Kira was jolted back to reality when he heard the howl of the wolf.

On the other hand cagalli's vision slowly faded away, but she could still hear the howl. She was shivering and

then kira embrace her protectively. In her mind she could imagine once again the grey wolf piercing green eyes.

'_I never knew that wolves got green eyes', _she thought before darkness claimed her.

The wolf was stuggering out of the forest hurt and confused. It can barely breath, It's wound feel as though it

were on fire. It knew were it could hide and licked it's wounds and wait at the dawn. Where it can be safe after

the encounter on the villagers and the children. Sometimes it thinks that he can be safe on the dawn, yet doesn't

know why.

Cagalli awoke as the sun rises, she shot her eyes open and began screaming. "What happened?" Uzumi rush

beside her.

"it hurts!" cagalli sobbed. Uzumi is whispering soothing words at her ,yet it doesn't lessen the pain. Kira stood

over her, his face twisted as if he was in pain. He was unaware that he was clenching his fist.

"what is it Kira?" cagalli asked him. Kira was jolted back from what he was doing. He then hugged her sister as if

he didn't seen her for how many years.

"thanked God your awake" said the brunette.

"kira I can't breath, let go" cagalli said huffing.

Uzumi just then laugh at his two children. "you had us worried kiddo"

"am I going to die?" asked the blond

The looks that kira and uzumi give her was horrified it's as if they heard a very bad nightmare.

She looked at her father as she saw tears streamming from his cheeks. The sight fright her more than the

encounter with the wolf. He turned his face away from her and his voice were muffled as he said "You'll be

alright, you can be able to walk but the scars will remain"

Cagalli was horrified after hearing what his father had said. She struggled to sit up. Kira pushed her down to

stop her, but she slaps kira's hand and was struggling to sit up. Kira tried again but she clawed at kira's hand

and fought him. At last she rose up on her elbows as her blanket slid off the floor.

She stared in horror at what was left at her leg. There were angry red wounds sorrounded it. Whole chunks of

missing flesh and scars of the wolf's fangs are visible there.

"I am hideous" cagalli cried

"no, you are still beautiful and would heal in no time" kira reassured her.

Cagalli just nodded as not to worry her twin and father anymore. But deep inside she was still hurting not just

physically but also emotionally. She always believes at her twin but right now she already doubted it.

Outside she could hear the commotion the vllager's were having. Voices that were mingled together with

excitement. Her father swung the door open and headed outside their home. Uzumi stood for a moment before

turning with a satisfied nod.

"they had the wolf" announced uzumi

"I want to see it" cagalli quivered from fear and hatred filling her.

"so you shall see" kira said. Scooping her and led her outside to be able to see the wolf.

Cagalli tightened her hold unto kira as they were near the dead wolf. Her heart was beginning to pound in fear

as she caught the sight of the monstrous grey brute. They dropped the wolf at kira's feet with great ceremony.

Slowly she looked down at the body of the wolf. It was ugly, it's fur was splattered with streaks of dried blood

and it's tongue was stuck outside it's mouth. It's fangs were covered with bits of flesh. At last cagalli looked into

it's eyes , which were wide open and staring. They were lifeless, lke two little pieces of yellow marbles.

_Yellow._

Cagalli felt her body quiver and she buried her face on kira's chest.

"It's not the same wolf" she whispered.

Something was wrong she could feel it. One month since the wolf's attacked. Kira never leaved cagalli by his side.

Eventhough it annoyed cagalli her heart feel at ease whenever her twin was beside her.

"again," he commanded, sitting by the hearth and extending his arms towards her.

Cagalli struggled up from the edge of her bed, trying to stand. At last all her efforts were paid as she gained her

foot. The pain was shooting at her legs, yet she just ignore it. She tried to hobble using the crutch kira had made

for her. Since before dawn he had tried to get her moving around using the crutch. She was getting tired and

angry.

Halfway to the hearth and she lost her footing.

"I can't do it" she cried out of frustration.

"you can and you must"

"I'm tired and sleepy. I'll do it tomorrow."

"no you'll work on it today." Kira said with a stern voice.

"why today?" she demanded

"because tomorrow will be too late," he said, standing so suddenly he knocked over his chair.

"why?"

He sighed and knelt over beside her.

"cagalli, the duke has sent a call for men to join him as he marches with the prince to the Holy Land. They need

men to assist them at the journey.

"what does it has to do with you?" she asked. Eventhough she already had the idea, she was still hoping that it

was not true.

Nicol and I are going. Nicol was there cousin one year younger than them. He lost his family a year ago and was

living with them ever since.

"But you are a blacksmith and young and not a knight"

"and they need more deperately even than warriors. We will help build and repair weapons and armor, and shoe

horses. If need be we will have to fight as well."

"are you leaving tomorrow?" her voice were trembling.

"the army will be leaving at first light. We are traveling to the castle tonight to join it."

Cagalli threw her arms at kira. She was crying and begging for her twin not to go and leave her.

"they need me there"

"and do you think that I don't need you here?" cagalli sobbed.

"you are strong and you do not need me to look after you anymore. But father will need you now more than

ever. You must promised me that you would always help him and be safe.

Her tears keep on rolling down her cheeks and soaking his shirt. "I can't"

"yes you can, even the wolf can't beat you"

She shivered to the mention of the monster and she began to cry more harder. From his belt he pulled down the

dagger that he used upon the wolf. She put it on her palm and wrapped her fingers around the hilt. "I will be still

here to protect you, as long as you carry this dagger on you at all times."

"I will" she said it with determination.

"I will miss you cagalli" her cousin said to her, voice trembling.

She held her arms to him and hugged him tightly. Then the three of them hugged each other, all of them crying.

Finally, nicol pulled away. "it's time to go" he said softly, and kira nodded.

"but father—"

"we already said our goodbyes this morning," kira assured her.

"be strong," he whipered. He turned to nicol , and without saying a word the two of them left.

Cagalli sat, shaking and staring at nothing, for several minutes. When she could no longer hear the sound of

their footsteps, she stood slowly, using the chair for support.

She picked up the crutch and began to hobble painfully. She bit her lip as wave of pain shot through her legs. But

she was very determined to go at the door. As she made it there she got outside, the road was a river of mud

winding between the houses and scaterred shops. Smoke curl out of their chimneys, their spirit dampened by the

recent rain.

The thick brown ooze clutched at her boots, and each time she make a step she could hear it squicking. Slowly,

step by painful step, she made it towards her father 's blacksmith shop; she could hear his hammer ringing out

against steel- strong, angry-sounding strokes.

He glanced upat her as she entered, but he said nothing. Slowly she made her way over to the forge. A steel

blade sat there at the fire, the metal becoming soft and pliabel. With the thongs she pulled it upon an anvil.

She leaned her body against a stone pillar and propped her crutch up against the back of it. She then reached

down and picked up her twin's hammer.

The feel of it in her hand brought tears again on her eyes. It was heavy, but she lifted it high in the air. As she

slammed it down upon the glowing steel she met her father's eyes. He nodded slowly and then turned back to

his own blade. Together they hammered far into the night.

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><p><strong>AN**

**Well that's it.. hope you enjoy reading..**

**In this story cagalli's family were blacksmith, so because kira joined the crusade it was cagalli that fiil in on kira's job.. hehehe…**

**I just want you to know that in this story cagalli is not a princess but an ordinary girl.**

**Well, I just wanted a different kind of story. Hope you enjoy it.**

**Please read and review**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter three is here,.. hope you didn't wait that long.

**Disclaimer: I do not own gundam seed,.. **

**Chapter Three**

**Once Upon a Time**

**Eight years later…..**

The trees moaned and sighed, below it a deer died in a sudden, violent death, it's life taken by another creature.

The creature's claws and teeth gnawed and slashed at the animal's tender flesh. The trees could do nothing but

watch and worry. _What a disturbance; what a tragedy; how very unnatural._

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><p>Clang Clang Clang….<p>

Cagalli slammed the hammer down her thumb and choked back a cursed. '_why are you so clumsy this morning?' _she chided herself.

She plunged her hand into a bucket of water. After a couple of minutes she pulled her thumb and took a bottle nearby a shelf. She open it up and squeezed it unto her throbbing thumb. The scent of chamomile, geraniums, lavender, lemon, myrrh and rose filled her nostrils. The remedy was her grandmother's secret recipe, and it's purpose was to alleviate pain and swellings. Cagalli had started keeping a supply of it in the shop. Every finger know it well.

She let out a sigh, forcing herself to relax. After a minute she stared at her hand. She grimaced at what she saw. It was rough and red like a man's and laced with scars. Through the years she had broken three of her fingers, but thanks to her grandmother's treatments and care, none of them were crooked.

She let a long sighed and closed her eyes, hearing some local gossip in her head. "She would never find a man, unless she would start acting like a woman." The women in the village were talking as if Cagalli didn't know. But she knows and often would hear them. Even then she was hurt.

'_I can fight against sword, or fist fights, but i don't know how to fight wth words' _she thought bitterly. _'worse, I know I hurt father eventhough he never says anything.'_

Cagalli clenched her fist and watched the muscles in her forearm jumped. Her grandmother's lotions helps keep them from growing quickly. If it weren't for these creams, cagalli's arms would be twice as big.

"When Kira returns, there will be time enough for me to worry about marriage," she murmured to herself. It was an old mantra, but still gave her strenght. She always believed that her twin would return to them in no time.

Just six months before, a young man returned to his village. He said that the fighting was still raging. Knowing her twin, he wouldn't return until it was done. Until then, she will continue to help her father in running the shop and keep using salve to keep her skin smooth and soft.

'_Except for my hands, how I wish grandmother could do something about the redness.'_ Cagalli was instantly angry with herself into thinking for it. '_I have nothing to be ashamed of; I earned every one of these scars.'_

Thinking of the scars on her fingers was enough to make her legs begun to ache. She grimaced as she sat down at the barrel and begun to robbed them. '_those scars' I didn't earn,'_ she thought grimly. Her thoughts flashed, as they often did, to the wolf that had caused them. '_I wonder if it's still alive out there?'_

Cagalli shook her head to get rid of her thoughts. The woods held It's own terror enough for her not to make room for another scary thoughts. '_No maybe it died a long time ago.' _That thought give her a satisfied nod to herself. She stood and ready to continue working.

She crossed to the anvil and bent to pick up her hammer. A man stood there, his form thin beneath travel-stained clothes. His brunette hair was unkempt and straggle past his shoulders.

"What can I do for you stranger?" she asked.

"I guessed I would seem a stranger to your eyes, but I know you, Cagalli," he said, his voice cracking.

"Though the last time I saw you, your appearance was less than of a boy than a girl."

She wrapped her good hand around a metal rod used to stoke fire. "Who are you?" she asked warily. She stood her ground in advanced.

When she got closer, enough to see his eyes, she froze. She didn't know what to say. She just stood there, like a statue. She snapped back when suddenly the stranger hugged her.

Her eyes well up and hugged back the stranger. "kira" she whispered as if she couldn't believed that her twin returns back.

She glanced back over his shoulder to the open door. '_Where could her cousin be? Isn't it they marched together from Jerusalem?' _several seconds had past yet there is no Nicol that enters.

Kira just continued to stare at her, and tears slowly began to trickle down his cheeks. At that moment it dawned to her what could had happened to their cousin. He looked up as though he was struggling to speak. Finally he gave up and just shook his head.

"come," she said, still gripping his arms. "I must take you to our father, he must be very that you already back" Cagalli couldn't help but be happy. Even though her heart is hurt whatever happened to their cousin, Nicol.

Quickly she dampened the fire in the forge and checked to make sure nothing else needed immediate tending. Satisfied, she took his hand and led him from the shop towards their home.

Warm memories of childhood filled her as they walked. She watched her twin as he looked around him with eyes that seemed slightly bewildered. He caught her watching and gave her the ghost of a smile.

"I never thought I would see this place again. Somehow I expected it to be different, chnaged."

"Like you?" she asked gently.

"Strange, the thoughts one has when far from home."

"Well, you're back now, safe. You can put such thoughts behind you."

"One day, maybe," he admitted. "But it seems far away."

His words struck her as strange, call it intuition but she just shrugged it off.

Suddenly a man cried out, "Kira!" and rushed towards his son. Kira jerked and twisted toward the voice. He relaxed a bit for the voice is so much familiar to him.

Uzumi embraced kira longingly. After eight years, finally his had already returned home. "my son Kira had returned from the crusade." He shouted.

Within moments the villagers were streaming from their homes, shouting kira's name and rushing forward to touch him. Two men lifted him high into the air and paraded him up and down the street, laughing with joy. Uzumi rushed up and they delivered kira into his arms. He crushed him with a happy cry, and cagalli felt tears burning her eyes.

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><p>AN

well that's it hope you enjoy it...

I'll just update more if I have time..

R&R please...


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